The Great British Bake Off – Week One: Cake Week

This blog contains spoilers, ie., who went out and who won Star Baker, so if you don’t want to know this, please stop reading now!

So now begins a brand new series of GBBO, where things have changed a little since the last season ending with the departure of Matt Lucas and Alison Hammond taking up the reins. This provoked a mixed reaction from the public to the news, but let’s not judge her until we’ve seen her in action!

Meanwhile let’s take a look at when she was a contestant and couldn’t find the oven door!

I did laugh at this photo posted on Twitter (X) by @alexr_241 which showed Noel and Alison as depicted by houses:

There was also another addition to the tent, Daryl, a BSL interpreter for one of the contestants. Refreshing to see him front and centre and not out of sight.

There are 12 contestants this series:

Signature Challenge

The bakers were asked to make a vertical layer cake with a perfectly baked sponge rolled with a filling so when sliced it will reveal neat vertical layers.

Rowan

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “Perfect example of a vertical cake. The buttercream is terrific. Well done Rowan.”
Paul: “I like it. It’s delicate, but the flavours are there. Just be aware of the strength of flavours that you’re putting in.”

Josh

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “The flavour is sensational.”
Paul: “The colours work, I think the cake looks amazing but I actually think you’ve over-baked your sponges.”

Amos

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “The chocolate dominates and not a lot of orange.”
Paul: “Obviously there’s been some issues with the drip effect. The layers just aren’t even enough.”

Cristy

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “I think it looks lovely. Beautiful lines. I mean, it’s delicious.”
Paul: “Good height to it, wow. I think the flavour, you are 60% there, don’t be afraid to punch us in the teeth with citrus flavours.”

Nicky

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “Yes, the layers are good. The flavour is very subtle and it is delicious.”
Paul: “It looks like a barrel, a bit like me actually, but I don’t think it’s terrible. I quite like the layers, they’re pretty even. It’s just not punchy enough.”
Nicky: “Perhaps the flavours will grow on you?”
Paul: “Yes, like a fungus!”

Abbi

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “I like that informal cornucopia look. Very nice vertical stripes. It’s delicious. The balance of the texture of the cake and the buttercream is beautiful.”
Paul: “This is the wild poppy, isn’t it? (Yeah) I think the flavours come through, they’re nice and punchy.”

Dana

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “Well those are pretty good stripes. I must say, the flavour is lovely, not too salty.”
Paul: “It’s a bit messy, the piping is not particularly good.”

Saku

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “Don’t make a face like that. It is a bit wobbly. The stripes are there. What I think the real achievement is to get the flavour out of the blueberries which they are not the easiest fruit to make taste great.”
Paul: “I like the colours, let’s have a look at this wobbly tower. Oh, I got the sharpness from the outside which brings that sour and the sweet together. I love the flavours.”

Matty

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “It certainly is strong. That’s a muscular cake. It’s very nice.”
Paul: “That would wake you up in the morning. That coffee level is perfect.“

Dan

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “That is the cutest little cake. Beautiful stripes Dan, well done. That is rhubarb and custard. It’s a beautiful cake, it’s very light.”
Paul: “It looks like a circus tent. With the crème pat and the rhubarb, it’s quite moreish, good job.”

Keith

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “It looks so dramatic and the colours are so strong contrast and it looks so wonderful. It’s delicious, absolutely delicious. I could happily eat all of that.”
Paul: “Oh my god. The cream is so light against the density of the chocolate and then that orange liqueur, it is absolutely delicious.”

Tasha

Judge’s Remarks:

Prue: “But you know what, its flavour might save it. Well, you’ve certainly got the stripes. I think you’ve got too much filling to cake though. That is very unusual and rather delicious.”
Paul: “Did you sit on it? If you had used less of the filling and more of the sponge, that would have been absolutely brilliant. I think it looks terrible, but I love the flavours and the texture of it.”

There were ups and downs in the tent – I think Saku’s ‘up’ was definitely the hug she received from Paul and Matty’s ‘down’ was not getting his buttercream to behave!

Technical Challenge

To make the Great British Bake Off chocolate cake, the one with the missing raspberry which appears in the opening titles with two layers of moist chocolate sponge covered and filled with a silky smooth chocolate ganache topped with fresh raspberries. Time: 2 hours.

The mystery of the raspberry was solved: Noel has it in a box, ready to sell on eBay when he reitres!

This challenge should be bread and butter to the bakers, but there is pressure to get it perfect as it will be tasted by Paul and Prue.

The big debate in the tent was raspberry on or off the cake?

The ganache seemed to be the main focus of attention, whether it had a shiny or matt finish.

The bakers were ranked from 12th to first position:

12th – Dana
11th – Tasha
10th – Nicky
9th – Rowan
8th – Josh
7th – Matty
6th – Cristy
5th – Saku
4th – Keith
3rd – Abbi
2nd – Amos
1st – Dan

Showstopper Challenge

Make a cake shaped and decorated in the form of an animal of your choosing. Time: 4 hours.

Cristy

The judges loved the colours, loved the isomalt lake. Gorgeous and raspberries taste tart which cut through the flavour of it.

Keith

Judges commented there was the right amount of flavour running through the layers – not oversweet, full of flavour.

Matty

Paul said it looked like it had been run over. Nice flavour. Never seen a spaniel that colour.